Thursday, April 24, 2008

Canadian Ismaili Games - Vancouver, BC - Venue Map




View Larger Map



Zee's notes: We are now less than a week away from what should be a weekend that many will never forget in Vancouver. The magic of the Canadian Ismaili Community will descend on the many venues throughout the city.

Above is the venue map where many of the activities will occur as well as places of interest such as JK's, Athletes village and actual sports venues. Click on the 'View Larger Map' link above for places where you'll see the Ismailis renew or make new lifetime frienships, see many gifted athletes and to generally have a fun weekend. You can get directions as well as ensure you get the most out of the games.
As well here is the UBC map :




From the Games Website:

Schedules

Click here for the latest schedules.


Facilities - Sporting Venues

Badminton - UBC, Student Recreation Centre
Basketball - UBC, Student Recreation CentreUBC, War Memorial
Chess- UBC, Student Recreation Centre
Cricket - Minoro Park (Sunday)Brockton (Monday)
Golf - Northview Golf & Country Club
Int'l Volleyball - UBC, War Memorial Gym
Soccer - UBC, Soccer Fields
Squash - Vancouver Racquet Club
Swimming - UBC, Aquatic Centre
Table Tennis - UBC, Osborne Gym
Tennis - UBC, Tennis Centre
Track & Field - UBC, Minoru Park
Trad'l Volleyball - UBC, War Memorial Gym
Wrestling - SFU (Saturday)UBC, Osborne Gym (Monday)


Friday May 2nd

9 am to 4 pm: Athletes arrive in Vancouver where they will be met at the airport and transported to the registration venue. Athletes should attempt to arrive in Vancouver either Thursday evening or Friday no later than 2 pm.

TBD: Jamatkhana at UBC

8 pm: Opening Ceremonies and Athlete Meet and Greet featuring live entertainment, great food, and the lighting of the CIG Torch

Saturday May 3rd

7 am to 6 pm: The tournament begins with round robin play and qualifying heats in all sports

10 am to 4 pm: Athletes and guests are welcome to enjoy the Canadian Ismaili Games Village at UBC

TBD: Jamatkhana

8 pm: CIG Celebration featuring live entertainment, athlete showcase, great food, and much more! Invite all of your friends and family to this celebration of sport and the Golden Jubilee!

Sunday May 4th

7 am to 6 pm: The Games continue with playoffs beginning in some sports

10 am to 4 pm: Athletes and guests are welcome to enjoy the Canadian Ismaili Games Village at UBC

TBD: Jamatkhana at UBC

8 pm: Feature Games and BBQ. The stands will be packed as some of our best compete in basketball and volleyball

Monday May 5th

9 am to 4 pm: The Champions are crowned as the playoffs in all sports are completed. Medals will be awarded at the conclusion of each final event

4 pm: Athlete Departure Lounge. Live entertainment and refreshments before you board the bus taking you to the airport

Where Hope Takes Root - MHI's new book out soon


In Where Hope Takes Root, a collection of talks given over the past six years, the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims—a sizable number of whom live in Canada—sets out the principles that inform his vision of peaceful, productive societies. He returns again and again to the three cornerstones upon which his many years of work in the developing world are based: democracy, pluralism and civil society. Democracy, always fragile, must be nurtured in practical and flexible ways, he says. Pluralism must be embraced in both fact and spirit. And engaged civil society, which the Aga Khan defines broadly as including doctors’ and journalists’ associations, women’s groups, social movements and village organizations, must be actively supported in countries around the globe.

Projected release: May 2008

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Check out these DVD's at Amazon !!!


Aga Khan and the Ismailis: Collector's Edition


Director: Bill Cran;Shamir Allibhai;Jane Chablani

Amazon Review:
Kelly Fulkerson (Cambridge, MA) - What I found most interesting, and refreshing, about this film was the attention paid to the Aga Khan's relationship to the Ismailis, rather than focusing solely on theology. The focus on the story of Prince Karim allows for an informative and accessible means of learning more about both the Aga Khan himself and the tradition as a whole. The film is very well-organized and does a nice job of detailing the development and history of the Ismaili community, especially through the discussions from professors and other speakers. Overall, it is very easy to follow while simultaneously raising complex discussions.

An Islamic Conscience: the Aga Khan and the Ismailis

Director: Bill Cran;Shamir Allibhai;Jane Chablani

Amazon Review
J. Roy (GA USA) - Well researched and well directed video. Covers overall aspect of the Ismaili tariqah of Islam. It seems impossible to ever come across this great man and at the same time he hardly speaks. For that reason I am most thankful for the interview by the Aga Khan which includes in this video. I am truly inspired by the work of Aga Khan Development Network. Hope one day we will have a DVD on Fatimids.



Living Camera: Aga Khan (1961)

Director: Robert Drew

* He is the 49th hereditary Imam of the Ismailis and a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed. As Imam his main role is to guide his community - spiritually and in secular matters. * The Aga Khan's original name is Prince Karim and he was born on Dec 13, 1936 * He became Imam when he was just a twenty year-old student at Harvard on July 11, 1957 when the previous Imam died * The Aga Khan places an emphasis on tolerance, dialogue and pluralism and sees this as rooted in the ethics of Islam. He advocates a balance between the spiritual and the material world. * The Aga Khan is the founder of the Aga Khan Development Network which is the largest private development agency. It spends $400Million/year and through its activities, employs 70,000 people. * 2007-2008 is the Aga Khan's Golden Jubilee - 50 years as spiritual leader / head of the Ismailis

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Exceptional Coffee Table Book !

Under the Eaves of Architecture: The Aga Khan: Builder and Patron (Hardcover)

Zee's notes: This book is not about architecture. It is about how MHI is making a difference in the lives of millions of people in the world and bringing hope where there seemed to be none. It is powerful yet the message is so simple. There is an interview with the author where MHI candidly reveals his motivation to helping the poorest citizens in the globe. Did you know that MHI had planned and had been accepted to attend MIT and study Sciences before changing his mind and eventually enrolling at Harvard for a degree in Islamic Studies...

Book Description: This thematically arranged book displays the full range of the Aga Khan's patronage of architecture.
The Aga Khan is one of the most ardent patrons of architecture and historic preservation in the world. Since inheriting his title as spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, usually known as Ismailis, fifty years ago, he has fostered and commissioned numerous structures and restored a multitude of buildings from North America to East Africa. The prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture, first given in 1980, recognizes projects that benefit the Muslim world for their excellence in contemporary design, community improvement and development, restoration, re-use, and area conservation. For the first time, this book presents projects from universities and historic restoration programs that bear the Aga Khan's name to religious centers, museums, and development efforts in more than twenty countries. Through the Aga Khan Development Network, the Aga Khan occupies a unique place in the world of architecture and this book reveals the range and breadth of his activities.
About the Author: Philip Jodidio has published numerous books on contemporary architecture, including Architecture: Art and Architecture: Nature (both by Prestel) and Cairo: Revitalising a Historic Metropolis (Aga Khan Trust for Culture). He lives in Grimentz, Switzerland.

Aga Khan: The architect of universal good

In an exclusive interview with Weekend Review during his visit to Dubai, where he inaugurated the Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan said the problems of extremism and terrorism have nothing to do with Islam


Click here for complete article...

The Annual Schools' Conference - Aga Khan Education Board for UK

'Contemporary Conversations' is an Annual Schools' Conference sponsored by the Aga Khan Education Board for the United Kingdom.

The Aga Khan Education Board for the United Kingdom (AKEB), in collaboration with teachers from secondary schools, has launched an Annual Schools' Conference, 'Contemporary Conversations', for students in Years 11 and 12. This conference furthers one of AKEB's key objectives; namely "adding value to formal education".

Click here for the details on this initiative...


Zee's Notes: Interesting topic for this years Conference topic - 'Ethical Shadows on Sports' coinciding with the first ever World Ismaili Games scheduled to be held in Nairobi June 23-29th.

The Aga Khan in America







Eboo Patel is founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core, a Chicago-based international nonprofit that promotes interfaith cooperation. His blog, The Faith Divide, explores what drives faiths apart and what brings them together. He is the author of Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation. An American Muslim of Indian heritage, Eboo has a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship. He is on the Religious Advisory Committee of the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Committee of the Aga Khan Foundation and the Advisory Board of Duke University's Islamic Studies Center. Eboo is an Ashoka Fellow, part of a select network of social entrepreneurs with ideas that could change the world


Click here for his perspective on MHI's USA Visit in The Washington Post ...

Aga Khan Visits Mali


His Highness the Aga Khan, Prince Rahim, Prince Hussain and Princess Khaliya are received at Bamako airport by President of Mali, Amadou Toumani Touré. Credit: Gary Otte


FSA hires ex-Barclays executive Naguib Kheraj as an adviser

Naguib Kheraj


The Financial Services Authority has hired Barclays' former finance director to advise it on enforcing the recommendations of its own review into the way it handled the collapse of Northern Rock.
Naguib Kheraj, who was finance director at Britain's third-biggest bank between 2004 and March last year, will join the City watchdog on a part-time basis from Monday.

Read complete article here...

Mr Kheraj uses his financial knowhow for the benefit of the Wellcome Trust, where he is a member of the investment committee, and is on the executive committee of Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs. He is also a governor of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, which promotes Islamic scholarship, and is the chairman of the Aga Khan Foundation's UK branch.